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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25682395">What Comes Next</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyjax/pseuds/ladyjax'>ladyjax</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: Discovery</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, F/M, Female Character of Color, Matriarchy, agressive plant life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:00:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,665</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25682395</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyjax/pseuds/ladyjax</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With the danger from Control averted, Christopher Pike spends a little more time on Discovery.  Michael begins to wonder if this is actually a good idea.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michael Burnham/Christopher Pike</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Rare Pairs Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What Comes Next</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleRaven/gifts">LittleRaven</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a lot more open ended for Michael and Christopher than I originally expected.  Consider it an opening salvo to something more.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Present Day:</em>
</p><p><a id="docs-internal-guid-daa1416d-7fff-24a5-bada-a4b409cb3951" name="docs-internal-guid-daa1416d-7fff-24a5-bada-a4b409cb3951"></a>Michael pushed the blanket that she'd been burrowed under off and blinked her eyes against the soft morning light peeking along the edge of the chamber’s window. In deference to the low grade headache that was threatening to develop into something even more annoying, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to center herself.</p><p>When she opened them again, she looked down. She was dressed in the emerald colored body-skimming shift that had been a gift from their host, the Majahdra. All limbs were still intact and attached to her body which was fine.  What was not fine was the pillow next to hers that clearly showed some use. </p><p>"Oh," she whispered.</p><p>It only got worse when she heard a certain someone clear his throat.</p><p>She turned her head to see the captain, no, Chris, standing in the doorway of what was the washroom, rubbing a towel over his head.  Thankfully he was already dressed in a clean pair of the trousers that the Rayden favored.  He had yet, however, to put on a shirt</p><p>"I suppose breakfast would be in order," he said calmly. "Are you hungry?” Michael made a face as she ran her tongue over her teeth, memories of the native wine she’d imbibed at the feast the night before. </p><p>"My mouth tastes foul.”</p><p>He tossed the towel on to his shoulder and poured a glass of water from a nearby pitcher before crossing back over to hand it to her. She nodded her thanks and drank it slowly, careful to keep her eyes from wandering.</p><p>The bed shifted as Chris sat down next to her, and Michael kept her attention on her glass.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>Michael finally finished the water and put the glass on the bedside table. Then she finally looked at him.</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>“Chris. We’re not on the ship. We are on assignment…”</p><p>“Exactly,” Michael said crisply. “We are on assignment on a Federation-protected planet. We are here to both retrieve the downed satellite as well as represent the Federation in the proper manner.”</p><p>His lips twitched as he tried not to smile at her which only frustrated Michael more. “Commander. Michael. We have done both things admirably all while respecting the culture of the Rayden.”</p><p>“Yes, but...”</p><p>“And respecting that culture means that even though I’m your captain, what the Rayden understand is that you show me great honor as the highest status male on the ship by allowing me to accompany you on this assignment.” He smoothed a hand over the rumpled bed clothes and grinned. “What would our hosts think if they came in by chance and found that I was not in your bed protecting you?”</p><p>She closed her eyes and reached for that core of logic that had been instilled in her since childhood. Logic that seemed to barely hold up under the near perfect disaster that was one Captain Christopher Pike.</p><p>“Sir...Chris,” Michael said with emphasis. “We should be getting ready to leave.”</p><p>He got up from the bed and walked to the door. “And we will.” He looked back over his shoulder and winked. “After breakfast.”</p><p>“Nnngh.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Six months ago:</em>
</p><p>“We need to get back on firm footing with both our mission and our ships,” Admiral Cornwell had said during her holo meeting with senior staff. She narrowly escaped the near destruction of <em> Enterprise </em> because Number One had figured out how to make a narrow focused shield wall that protected Kat when the photon torpedo embedded in the hull blew. She still got a little banged up given her proximity to the explosion but didn’t let her convalescence slow her down. In the days and weeks following the “Control Incident,” as it was now referred to, there was a reordering of many ship assignments, including <em> Discovery's </em>.</p><p>“Given that we were barely recovering from the war when all of this kicked off, we’re reassigning some senior ship captains to ships with junior crews.”</p><p>Michael caught Saru’s eye and he tipped his head in the barest acknowledgment before saying, “Admiral, if I may, would it be possible for Captain Pike assignment with <em> Discovery </em> to continue for a while longer?”</p><p>Chris turned to look at Saru incredulously, which gave Michael a chance to pipe in with, “Our crew has greatly benefited from having him aboard and I believe that once our new captain has been chosen for us,”</p><p>“Or Saru actually becomes our captain,” Stamets muttered only to have Owo kick him under the table. “Sorry.”</p><p>“As I was saying,” Michael calmly, “We’ll be in much better shape once the final command assignment is made.”</p><p>Kat’s lips pursed consideringly before she said, “As it happens, Captain Pike, your first officer made a similar suggestion.”</p><p>“Did she, now?” Pike drawled.</p><p>“Her exact words were, ‘Please assure the captain that I will not go mad with power.’”</p><p>Michael barely contained her laughter and there were surreptitious giggles from other members of the crew. She schooled her face back to a professional mien and turned her attention back to the Admiral and the remainder of the meeting.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p>
  <em>Four months ago:</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Michael pelted through the thick forest, chivying the rest of the survey team ahead of her towards the clearing where they’d beamed in to. Low hanging branches impeded their path but she pressed the group on, making sure that none of the fauna was overtaking them.</p><p>“<em>Discovery </em>! We have encountered some hostiles while on the surface. Five to beam up.”</p><p>“Say again, Michael!” Saru’s voice held a note of worry. “What hostiles? This planet was supposed to be uninhabited.”</p><p>“Plants!” Lieutenant Munt, the Tellarite botanist grunted back at her. “Hostile plants!”</p><p>“What he said, sir!” Michael almost stumbled as she fired backward into the forest they’d left which was now teaming with what looked like large, shambling masses of leaves and vines. “Beam us up now!”</p><p>Swirling gold energy replaced the angry plant life and deposited her and the rest of the survey team on the transporter platform. One writhing vine was quickly stripped off of one of the other botanists and captured in a specimen jar. Michael picked herself up and tugged her uniform jacket down just in time to see the Captain walk through the door.</p><p>“So, plants?” he inquired dryly.</p><p>“It will be in my report, sir.”</p><p>**</p><p>“We’re doing science, Michael!” Tilly crowed at dinner. She wriggled in her seat, barely able to contain her excitement.</p><p>“If you mean that we are finally fulfilling <em>Discovery’s</em> original mission, then yes, we are doing science,” Michael replied affably. “Although, the plants took me by surprise.”</p><p>“Ensign, Commander,” Pike walked up with his own tray and nodded at the empty chair at their table. “Mind if I join you?”</p><p>Michael was about to beg off when Tilly jumped in with, “Of course, you can. He can, can’t he Michael?”</p><p>“Yes, please do.”</p><p>Pike pulled out the chair and sat down with his own meal. “To be honest, that’s pretty standard fare once you’re on a deep space mission,” he offered. “I’ve been chased by quite a few beings in my day.”</p><p>“Really?” Tilly asked, “What kind?”</p><p>Michael listened as he launched into a story involving himself, his Number One, an engineer, and their security team as they were beset by life forms that resembled a cross between a bat and a jelly fish. “Gave me nightmares for months but we found a way to communicate with them after all.”</p><p>He turned his gaze to Michael. “What do you think, Commander?”</p><p>Michael sipped her tea before putting down her cup and said, “That we should probably add some sort of pruning shears to our expedition kits just in case.”</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Life aboard fell into a predictable pattern: find a new planet, or an old one, conduct surveys, or reestablish contact with the locals and conduct more surveys. Maybe run from some of those locals then leave a buoy to warn any other ship about what they might be facing.</p><p>Captain Pike didn’t shy away from getting the mission done, something that Michael found admirable as well as a little worrying because he was willing to put himself in harms way.</p><p>“There are different styles of captains, Michael,” Saru had said patiently. “He is just one for you to learn from.” Michael snorted.</p><p>“And what are you learning from him, Saru?”</p><p>“That humans are much better suited to running from things than I.”</p><p>**</p><p>
  <em>Present day</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Saru met them when they beamed back aboard. By his reaction, Michael knew they looked quite the pair. One further gift from the ruler was an even more beautiful dress that had left almost nothing to the imagination, while the captain had been gifted with matching pants (and shirt!), that complimented her own attire.</p><p>“I see that your mission was successful,” Saru said primly as the pair moved off the transporter pad.</p><p>“Yes, it was. The damaged satellite was beamed into the hold,” Michael replied.</p><p>“Oh, and we have a standing invitation to return,” Chris added. “The Majahdra was quite taken with Commander Burnham.”</p><p>“I see.” Saru’s looked from one to the other then waved towards the door. “I suspect that you would both like to change into something a little more appropriate.”</p><p>Michael and Chris walked down the hall towards the turbo lift, barely noticing the looks they received from passers by. Once inside, Michael called for her own deck while he waited patiently beside her.</p><p>“You look beautiful.”</p><p>She looked at him, startled at his quiet words. “I...sir...Chris.”</p><p>He turned his gaze back on her and she was taken aback at what she saw: admiration, kindness, and the barest hint of desire. When the turbo lift reached her floor, he walked out with her until they reached her quarters. Then he reached out, took her hand, and kissed her knuckles softly.</p><p>“Always a pleasure to serve with you, Commander.”</p><p>Michael cradled her hand as he walked away, tall and straight, and back into the turbo lift.</p><p> </p>
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